Simmons (electronic Drum Company)
Simmons is an electronic drum brand, which originally was a pioneering British manufacturer of electronic drums. Founded in 1978 by Dave Simmons, it supplied electronic kits from 1980 to 1998. The drums' distinctive, electronic sound can be found on countless albums from the 1980s. The company closed in 1999 before being relaunched under Guitar Center ownership in 2006 by at first rebranding generic Chinese kits for the North American market before Dave Simmons would return to the company in 2017; after which all kit design was brought fully back in house under his design leadership. The SDS 5 (or SDSV; notated as SDS-5) was developed in conjunction with Richard James Burgess of Landscape and released in 1981. The first recordings of the instrument were made by Burgess, on '' From the Tea-rooms of Mars ....'', " Chant No. 1" by Spandau Ballet, and "Angel Face" by Shock. After Landscape and Spandau Ballet appeared on ''Top of the Pops'' with the instrument, many other musician ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Simmons Logo
Simmons may refer to: * Simmons (surname), including a list of people with the surname *Simmons, Kentucky, unincorporated community, United States *Simmons, Missouri, unincorporated community, United States * Simmons (Red vs. Blue), a fictional character in the animated video series ''Red vs. Blue'' * Simmons Peak *Simmonston, abandoned town site in South Australia, Australia Business * Simmons (electronic drum company), a manufacturer of electronic drum kits * Simmons Bank, a bank based in Arkansas, United States * Simmons Bedding Company, a bedding manufacturer * Simmons & Simmons, an international law firm based in London, England, United Kingdom * Simmons Optics, a subsidiary of Bushnell Corporation producing a line of optical products Education * Simmons College (Massachusetts), a women's liberal arts college in Boston, Massachusetts, United States * Simmons College of Kentucky, a historically African-American college in Louisville, Kentucky, United States See also * Si ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Duran Duran
Duran Duran () are an English pop rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor (bass guitarist), John Taylor. After several early changes, the band's line-up settled in May 1980 as Rhodes, Taylor, singer Simon Le Bon, guitarist Andy Taylor (guitarist), Andy Taylor and drummer Roger Taylor (Duran Duran drummer), Roger Taylor. Emerging as members of the New Romantic scene, Duran Duran were innovators of the music video and a leading band in the MTV-driven Second British Invasion of the US in the 1980s. By 1984, the band had achieved levels of fame similar to Beatlemania. The band's first major hit was "Girls on Film" (1981), from their Duran Duran (1981 album), self-titled debut album, the popularity of which was enhanced by a controversial music video. The band's breakthrough second album was ''Rio (Duran Duran album), Rio'' (1982), a worldwide hit. The songs "Hungry Like the Wolf" and "Rio (song), Ri ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Bill Bruford
William Scott Bruford (born 17 May 1949) is an English drummer and percussionist who first gained prominence as a founding member of the progressive rock band Yes. After leaving Yes in 1972, Bruford spent the rest of the 1970s recording and touring with King Crimson (1972–1974), Roy Harper (1975), and U.K. (1978), as well as touring with Genesis (1976). In 1978, he formed his own group, Bruford, which was active until 1980. During the 1980s, Bruford returned to King Crimson for three years (1981–1984), collaborated with several artists (including Patrick Moraz and David Torn), and formed his own electric jazz band Earthworks in 1986. He then played with his former Yes bandmates in Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe, which eventually led to a very brief second stint in Yes. Bruford played in King Crimson for his third and final tenure from 1994 to 1997, then continued with a new acoustic configuration of Earthworks. In 2009, Bruford announced his retirement from professional ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Rush (band)
Rush was a Canadian rock music, rock band formed in Toronto in 1968 that consisted primarily of Geddy Lee (vocals, bass, keyboards), Alex Lifeson (guitars) and Neil Peart (drums, percussion). The band's original line-up consisted of Lifeson, drummer John Rutsey, and bassist and vocalist Jeff Jones (bassist), Jeff Jones, whom Lee immediately replaced. After Lee joined, the band went through a few line-up changes before arriving at its classic power trio line-up with the addition of Peart in July 1974, who replaced Rutsey four months after the release of their Rush (Rush album), self-titled debut album; this line-up remained unchanged for the remainder of the band's career. Rush first achieved moderate success with their second album, ''Fly by Night (album), Fly by Night'' (1975). The commercial failure of their next album ''Caress of Steel'', released seven months after ''Fly by Night'', resulted in the band nearly getting dropped from their then-record label Mercury Records. Rus ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Neil Peart
Neil Ellwood Peart ( ; September 12, 1952 – January 7, 2020) was a Canadian and American musician, known as the drummer, percussionist, and primary lyricist of the rock band Rush (band), Rush. He was known to fans by the nickname "the Professor", derived from the ''Gilligan's Island'' The Professor (Gilligan's Island), character of the same name. His drumming was renowned for its technical proficiency and his live performances for their exacting nature and stamina. Peart earned numerous awards for his musical performances, including an induction into the ''Modern Drummer'' Modern Drummer#Readers poll, Readers Poll Hall of Fame in 1983 at the age of thirty, making him the youngest person ever so honoured. Peart was born in Hamilton, Ontario, and grew up in Port Dalhousie, Ontario, Port Dalhousie (now part of St. Catharines). During adolescence, he floated between regional bands in pursuit of a career as a full-time drummer. After a discouraging stint in England, Peart return ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and later became the lead singer of the rock band Genesis (band), Genesis and had a successful solo career, achieving three UK number-one singles and seven US number-one singles as a solo artist. In total, his work with Genesis, other artists and solo resulted in more US top-40 singles than any other artist throughout the 1980s. His most successful singles from the period include "In the Air Tonight", "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)", "One More Night (Phil Collins song), One More Night", "Sussudio", "Another Day in Paradise", "Two Hearts (Phil Collins song), Two Hearts" and "I Wish It Would Rain Down". Born and raised in west London, Collins began playing drums at the age of five. During the same period he attended drama school, which helped secure various roles as a child actor. His first major role was the Artful Dodger in the West End ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson (June 7, 1958April 21, 2016) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation, Prince was known for his flamboyant, androgynous persona, wide vocal range, which included a far-reaching falsetto and high-pitched screams, as well as his skill as a multi-instrumentalist, often preferring to play all or most of the instruments on his recordings. His music incorporated a wide variety of styles, including funk, disco, Rhythm and blues, R&B, Rock music, rock, New wave music, new wave, soul music, soul, synth-pop, Pop music, pop, jazz, blues, and hip hop music, hip hop. Prince produced his albums himself, pioneering the Minneapolis sound. Born and raised in Minneapolis, Prince signed a record deal with Warner Bros. Records at the age of 18, soon releasing the studio albums ''For You (Prince album), For You'' (1978) and ''Prince (album), Prince'' (1979). He went on to achieve critical succe ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Thomas Dolby
Thomas Morgan Robertson (born 14 October 1958), known by the stage name Thomas Dolby, is an English musician, producer, composer, entrepreneur and teacher. Dolby came to prominence in the 1980s, releasing hit singles including "She Blinded Me with Science" (1982) and "Hyperactive!" (1984). He has also worked as a producer and as a session musician. In the 1990s, Dolby founded Beatnik (company), Beatnik, a Silicon Valley software company whose technology was used to play internet audio and later ringtones, most notably on Nokia phones. He was also the music director for TED (conference), TED Conferences. On the faculty at the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University since 2014, Dolby leads Peabody's Music for New Media program, which enrolled its first students in the fall of 2018. Early life Dolby was born Thomas Morgan Robertson in London, England, to (Theodosia) Cecil, ''née'' Spring Rice (1921–1984) and Martin Robertson (1911–2004), professor of classical Greek A ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Sheffield in 1977. Since 1992, the band has consisted of Rick Savage (bass, backing vocals), Joe Elliott (lead vocals), Rick Allen (drummer), Rick Allen (drums), Phil Collen (guitar, backing vocals), and Vivian Campbell (guitar, backing vocals). They established themselves as part of the new wave of British heavy metal of the early 1980s. Their greatest commercial success came between the early 1980s and mid-1990s. With a line-up of Savage, Elliott, Allen and guitarists Steve Clark and Pete Willis, the band's first album, 1980's ''On Through the Night'', reached the Top 15 in the UK but received little notice elsewhere. Their second album, 1981's ''High 'n' Dry'', was produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange, Mutt Lange, who helped them to define their melodic hard rock style. The album's most popular track "Bringin' On the Heartbreak" became one of the first rock videos played on MTV in 1982, but the album reached only t ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Rick Allen (drummer)
Richard John Cyril Allen (born 1 November 1963) is an English musician who has been the drummer of the hard rock band Def Leppard since 1978. He overcame the amputation of his left arm in January 1985 and continued to play with the band, which went on to its most commercially successful phase. He is known as "The Thunder God" by fans. He is ranked No. 7 on the UK website Gigwise in ''The Greatest Drummers of All Time'' list. Early life Allen was born on 1 November 1963 in Dronfield, Derbyshire to Kathleen Moore and Geoffrey Allen, and started playing drums at the age of nine. He performed in the bands Grad, Smokey Blue, Rampant, and the Johnny Kalendar Band. When he was 14, his mother replied on his behalf to an advertisement placed by a band called Def Leppard looking for a drummer to replace Tony Kenning ("Leppard loses skins" was the advertisement's headline). He later joined the band on 1 November 1978, which was his 15th birthday. In 1979, he dropped out of school to conc ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Bobby Z
Bobby Z may refer to: People *Bob Dylan (born 1941), American musician, born Robert Zimmerman *Robert Zemeckis Robert Lee Zemeckis (born May 14, 1952) is an American filmmaker known for directing and producing a range of successful and influential movies, often blending cutting-edge visual effects with storytelling. He has received several accolades incl ... (born 1952), American director, occasionally nicknamed "Bobbie Z" * Bobby Z. (born 1956), American musician * Bobby Zamora (born 1981), English footballer * Bobby Z (wrestler) (born 1991), Mexican professional wrestler Film *'' The Death and Life of Bobby Z'', a 2007 action film {{disambiguation Z, Bobby ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Saga (band)
Saga is a Canadian Rock music, rock band from Oakville, Ontario. Bassist and keyboardist Jim Crichton and Welsh-born vocalist and keyboardist Michael Sadler are the principal songwriters. Saga has had numerous line-up changes over the years. Ian and Jim Crichton were the only two original members who appeared on every album. Sadler appeared on every release, apart from the 2009 album ''The Human Condition (Saga album), The Human Condition''. Keyboardist Jim Gilmour was with the band from 1979, making his debut on the album ''Silent Knight (album), Silent Knight''. Drummer Steve Negus performed with Saga until 1986. The lineup was supplemented by many session musicians and live performers from the late 1980s to the late 2000s. Saga has been awarded gold and platinum albums worldwide and have sold more than eight million albums. History Originally known as Pockets, Saga formed in 1977 from the nucleus of Canadian rock band Fludd (band), Fludd. In April 1978, they released their ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |